


I know I shouldn't ask

by HolyCatsAndRabbits



Series: Mr. Fell's Bookshop ficlets [10]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Aziraphale is soft for babies, Established Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Established Relationship, M/M, Mr. Fell's bookshop, POV Outsider, Protective Crowley, guardian angel Aziraphale, we don't actually see the bookshop in this ficlet but we are gaining a new regular anyhow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22351858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyCatsAndRabbits/pseuds/HolyCatsAndRabbits
Summary: “He’s so much better than an angel,” Mr. Fell said softly.“Oi, that’s enough out of you,” Mr. Crowley snapped. “I’m very cross with you, you know. Once a month, one ward only, we agreed.”“Oh, my goodness,” said Mr. Fell with a yawn. “My dear, you’re simply terrifying.”Mr. Crowley growled at him. “Awfully cheeky for someone who can’t walk.”
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Mr. Fell's Bookshop ficlets [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1500449
Comments: 163
Kudos: 1052
Collections: Hurt Aziraphale





	I know I shouldn't ask

**Author's Note:**

> CONTENT WARNING: NICU (intensive care for newborn babies)
> 
> This is my favorite ficlet of the series. <3
> 
> This fic is now a podfic by the wonderful kholly! Follow the “other works inspired by this one” link to find it.

“I know I shouldn’t ask.”

It was far past the end of Rebekah’s shift at the hospital, and from the weary look of Mr. Fell, his visit was over as well.

But Rebekah pressed on. “I know you make the rounds of all the departments. I know they shouldn’t let you in, but they always do. I know you’ve already been to another part of the hospital today, and that you came to the NICU a couple of months ago. Not everybody seems to remember you visiting, but I do.”

“You’re a little more sensitive to this sort of thing than some,” Mr. Fell said, with a smile.

Rebekah rubbed her arms, feeling cold. “I know it exhausts you,” she whispered. “And I know that if I start asking, then other people might ask, and it will overwhelm you, and I’m so sorry.” Her breath hitched as she tried to hold back a sob.

“It’s all right, Rebekah,” Mr. Fell said, offering his arm. Rebekah took it as they started walking toward the elevators, and she did notice that she was suddenly not cold anymore.

“This baby has been here for three months,” Rebekah told him, “and we _can’t_ lose her now. She’s come so far and her parents had hope and she’s—” 

“Like your baby, in a way?” Mr. Fell asked with a smile. “Of course she is.”

“Nurses that fall for their patients make the best and worst nurses,” Rebekah said shakily as the elevator doors closed. “Is it too much?” she asked.

“I don’t know. But I’d like to try.” Mr. Fell looked hopeful and Rebekah could almost feel the hope herself.

The elevator opened and Rebekah led Mr. Fell into the ward. No one gave them a second look. The baby was in the third room down, curtains drawn, monitors beeping, tubes and wires everywhere.

“Can I hold her?” Mr. Fell asked as he washed his hands at the sink.

Rebekah handed him a pair of gloves, and after putting on her own, lifted the baby from her bed. The infant fussed weakly until she was laid in Mr. Fell’s arms.

“An infection?” he asked immediately.

“She was almost ready to go home—”

Mr. Fell smiled down at the baby. “Hello, little one. I know things aren’t very comfortable right now. But even so, let’s see if we might stay here awhile. That’s right, darling. Stay with me.” Around the white-haired man, the darkened room began to glow.

Someone called Rebekah away. It was half an hour before she came back to find Mr. Fell sitting in a chair with the baby snuggled against his chest, tubes and wires carefully arranged. His eyes were closed and the glow she’d seen earlier was very faint. And all over the floor were white feathers which had fallen from the wings that stretched out from his shoulders.

Rebekah pressed her hands to her mouth as she started to cry. A beeping startled her and she stepped forward to pull a phone from Mr. Fell’s jacket pocket. He didn’t stir.

It was a text message from someone named Crowley. Rebekah guessed that this was probably the husband who drove Mr. Fell to the hospital every month in a fancy black car.

 _Where are you?_ said the message.

Rebekah typed in an answer: _NICU_

A few moments later, the husband approached the front desk, and Rebekah brought him back into the ward. Again, no one seemed to notice. They stopped in the doorway of the baby’s room and Mr. Crowley groaned. “Oh, Aziraphale.” In a much sharper tone, he said to Rebekah, “He’s not supposed to be in here today.”

“It’s my fault,” she confessed. “I asked him—”

Mr. Crowley sighed. “Let me see.” He washed his hands, donned gloves, and then picked up the baby from Mr. Fell’s arms. “Hello, Laura.” The baby opened her eyes and blinked up at him. “Well, aren’t you a chipper little thing?” he asked. “Hungry, too.”

Rebekah tried to keep her voice steady. “Is she—”

“Why, was there something wrong with her?” There was a hint of a smile on Mr. Crowley’s face. “Seems perfectly fine to me.”

The tears broke through and Mr. Crowley laid the baby in Rebekah’s arms. 

“All right, angel,” Mr. Crowley said, tossing his gloves into the trash. “Time to go home.” 

Rebekah watched Mr. Fell stir just a little as his husband brushed a hand over his cheek. “So are you also—” she asked.

Mr. Crowley looked amused. “No. Well, variation on a theme, you could say.” He ran his fingers through Mr. Fell’s white curls, and Mr. Fell opened his eyes. His wings shuddered a couple of times before seeming to fold into nothingness.

“He’s so much better than an angel,” Mr. Fell said softly.

“Oi, that’s enough out of you,” Mr. Crowley snapped. “I’m very cross with you, you know. Once a month, one ward only, we agreed.”

“Oh, my goodness,” said Mr. Fell with a yawn. “My dear, you’re simply terrifying.”

Mr. Crowley growled at him. “Awfully cheeky for someone who can’t walk.”

“Will he be okay?” Rebekah asked anxiously.

Mr. Crowley was still scowling. “I’ll see to him. But he can’t make a habit of it.”

“I know. I promise.”

Mr. Crowley put a shoulder beneath his husband’s arm and stood him up as if the larger man weighed nothing. 

“She’s going to be fine,” he told Rebekah. “He does good work.” And then he snapped his fingers and Rebekah was alone in the room with baby Laura. Even the feathers had vanished from the floor. 

Rebekah looked down at the baby and whispered to her. “Oh, you little miracle. Let’s go find your mom and dad.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my favorite ficlet because I had a couple of preemies myself. Fortunately, they were born late enough to stay out of the NICU, but I was a NICU volunteer for a while, cuddling babies! What a great job that was! 
> 
> Next! Welcome back to Caroline and Oliver! We met the kids in ficlet # 1 (Are you an angel, too?) and they star in the last two works of the series. It's been about 4 years, and these kids have grown very special to Mr. Fell and Mr. Crowley, along with our other regulars. We have met them all at this point: Caroline, Oliver, Audrey, Lloyd, Sam, Eli, Rylee, Lela, and Rebekah. If you are in the mood for happy tears and a couple more adventures, then stay tuned, my friends! And thank you to everyone for your support of this series! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are so appreciated! And please feel free to check out my other works.  
> Find me on tumblr [HolyCatsAndRabbits](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/holycatsandrabbits)  
> Twitter [@DannyeChase](https://twitter.com/DannyeChase)  
> Facebook [Dannye Chase](https://facebook.com/DannyeChase)  
> and Instagram [dannye_chase](https://www.instagram.com/dannye_chase/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] I know I shouldn't ask](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23780701) by [kholly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kholly/pseuds/kholly)




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